Need help thinking up an excuse for Santa

Corelli · 13 December 2013 at 4:13PM

notanewuser wrote: »

I'm going to say this as clearly as I can one more time.

IF SHE WANTS TO BELIEVE, WE WON'T BE STOPPING HER. WE JUST AREN'T STARTING/HAVEN'T STARTED IT OFF FOR HER!!!!!

It's up to her whether she wants to conform to whatever her friends believe. We aren't foisting it onto her, that's all.

Is it really that hard to understand?

This is more or less the line we took. Whilst talking about religions and myths when the children were small - they were told that 'some people believe that ... whatever, reincarnation, death as absolute, Jesus, Allah ...etc' and Father Christmas came into that category. Be polite to other people about their beliefs but make up your own mind. I saw no reason to lie to them. We gave presents and helped the children give presents theselves.

poet123 · 13 December 2013 at 4:14PM

Santa is everywhere though at Christmas, so unless you actively tell a child it is not true they will, by osmosis, believe it. I can't see how you can avoid it.

notanewuser · 13 December 2013 at 4:25PM

poet123 wrote: »

Santa is everywhere though at Christmas, so unless you actively tell a child it is not true they will, by osmosis, believe it. I can't see how you can avoid it.

Everywhere where?

I've not avoided anything but DD genuinely doesn't know who he is or what he's meant to do (and she's a very bright child).

poet123 · 13 December 2013 at 4:27PM

notanewuser wrote: »

Everywhere where?

I've not avoided anything but DD genuinely doesn't know who he is or what he's meant to do (and she's a very bright child).

Nurseries, schools, shopping centres, cards, TV ads, anywhere there is a Christmas theme there is a Santa. Unless she is kept in a bubble there is no way she will not come into contact with the concept.

quidsy · 13 December 2013 at 4:27PM

she's 3. give it time

*max* · 13 December 2013 at 4:29PM

Personally, I think the years of magic that precede it are worth the "disappointment" of eventually finding out Father christmas isn't real.

I think it would be more "damaging" for the child to never have experienced it at home only to be confronted with their little friends at school talking about it, and the child ending up either telling the poor mites he doesn't exist before they're ready, or starting to think "why hasn't he ever been to my house then?".

notanewuser · 13 December 2013 at 4:31PM

poet123 wrote: »

Nurseries, schools, shopping centres, cards, TV ads, anywhere there is a Christmas theme there is a Santa. Unless she is kept in a bubble there is no way she will not come into contact with the concept.

Apart from today's visit and a song or 2 at play group they aren't pushing Santa. She's not at school. I rarely go to shopping centres. If I have to its when she's at playgroup. We don't do Xmas cards generally. She doesn't watch TV channels with adverts.

So no active avoidance, it just doesn't come up!!!

notanewuser · 13 December 2013 at 4:35PM

*max* wrote: »

Personally, I think the years of magic that precede it are worth the "disappointment" of eventually finding out Father christmas isn't real.

I think it would be more "damaging" for the child to never have experienced it at home only to be confronted with their little friends at school talking about it, and the child ending up either telling the poor mites he doesn't exist before they're ready, or starting to think "why hasn't he ever been to my house then?".

That took longer than I thought.

It's not about denying her Santa, its about not pushing it onto her!' She'll be taught that some people believe, not to tell them he doesn't.

This is getting ridiculous now.

poet123 · 13 December 2013 at 4:36PM

notanewuser wrote: »

Apart from today's visit and a song or 2 at play group they aren't pushing Santa. She's not at school. I rarely go to shopping centres. If I have to its when she's at playgroup. We don't do Xmas cards generally. She doesn't watch TV channels with adverts.

So no active avoidance, it just doesn't come up!!!

But she is 3...

When she is four she will be at school, and presumably then she will want to watch the same progs as her friends do? And, you cannot live or keep her as self contained and controlled as you appear to do now forever. She will be exposed to Santa.